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Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009

Merced County reported 22 homicides for the year

But the number is down 12 percent from 2008

"What broke in a man when he could bring himself to kill another?"

Although academics and psychologists still seek to answer that question, asked by South African writer Alan Paton, hardly a month goes by in Merced County when someone doesn't lose his or her life to violence.

This year, 22 homicides were reported in Merced County -- a 12 percent decrease from the 25 homicides reported in 2008.

Six homicides and one manslaughter were reported this year in Merced, a 45 percent decrease from the 11 homicides reported last year. Atwater reported two homicides this year, down from the three homicides in 2008. Gustine reported two homicides this year, compared to one homicide last year. Livingston reported one homicide this year.

Here is a list of people in Merced County who were victims of homicide in 2009. The victims are listed in the order each crime was reported. The area in which each homicide was reported is also listed.

Mary Charlotte Dixon, 67 (Le Grand, Feb. 10)

Dixon was killed as a result of a single gunshot wound to the head, which sheriff's detectives believe was fired by her husband, Charles Dixon, 67. Investigators believe the husband then committed suicide, turning the gun on himself. The bodies were found inside the couple's home in the 9000 block of East Le Grand Road.

The couple's 12-year-old granddaughter was in an upstairs bedroom in the home and heard the couple arguing, investigators said. She heard gunshots and called her father on the telephone. Arriving at the home, the father called 911 after discovering the bodies.

The bodies were found next to each other in the kitchen, and a small caliber gun was found next to the husband's body, investigators said.

Salud Santacruz Ruiz, 47 (Livingston, Feb. 25)

Ruiz was found stabbed to death in the backyard of a home in the 1600 block of Second Street.

The suspect has been identified as Juan Pina, a Livingston man in his mid-30s, 5-feet-6-inches tall, weighing about 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

Pina remains at large, according to Livingston police.

Derrias Orlando Chartley, 21 (May 16, Merced) Chartley was shot to death around 1:30 a.m. May 16, in the parking lot of the V Street Lounge at 1277 V Street. Police responded to the scene after receiving a call about a fight and shots fired.

Chartley, a San Francisco resident, was shot at least once in the upper torso and tried to leave the scene, but collapsed, police said. He was taken to Mercy Medical Center Merced, and was pronounced dead within an hour.

Roger David Burnett, 59 (May 16, Merced)

Burnett was bludgeoned and stabbed to death in his Merced home in the 200 block of East Main Street. Merced police believe the suspect, 57-year-old David John Wickersham, stabbed the victim several times with a kitchen knife in the chest, back and neck and hit him in the head with a ball-peen hammer.

Police arrested Wickersham, a transient, after he walked into Mercy Medical Center Merced on May 16. Wickersham said he had self-inflicted wounds on his left arm and told police that he was concerned that he'd done something to his "friend."

Officers went to Burnett's home and found his body on the floor. Wickersham had recently been released from prison, after serving time for a parole violation. He remains at the Merced County Jail without bail.

Abraham Valenzuela, 18, Andres Rodriguez, 21 (May 27, Winton) Valenzuela and Rodriguez were shot to death by unknown assailants around 9:30 p.m. May 27 in the 7000 block of Peridot Avenue in Winton.